Knee srace



R. B. PALMER Sept. 25, 1962 KNEE BRACE INVENTOR. R E Y B. PA LM E R )ZI-M d Filed Feb. 3, 1959 FIG. I i- 3,055,359 KNEE BRACE Rex I5. Falmer, Medical Arts Bldg, Seattle, Wash. Filed Feb. 3, 195 Ser. No. 795,902 5 (Ilaims. (Cl. 128-450) The present invention relates to an improved knee brace for preventing over-extension and lateral flexure.

The hinge movement of the knee is accompanied by a small amount of external rotation at the end of extension and a compensatory internal rotation during flexion. This slight twist tightens up related ligaments that they may take a share in resisting over-extension. Such resistance is necessary because in the erect position of the leg a vertical line from the center of gravity of the body passes in front of the knee. Thus, I recognize that if a knee brace is to permit normal used of the leg it must allow turning thereof.

Accordingly, the present invention aims to provide a brace which will resist lateral knee flexure and limit extension while at the same time permitting rotation during extension.

The invention further aims to provide such a knee brace which is light weight, yet rugged, easy to apply, and of simple and economical construction. I

Other more particular objects and advantages will, together with these general objects, appear and be understood in the course of the following description and claims, the invention consisting in the novel construction and in the adaptation and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of my knee brace shown mounted in operative position;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view through the joint of the brace;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view taken as indicated by the line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an upper end view taken as shown by the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view taken similarly to FIG. 1 and showing a modified girth;

FIG. 6 is an upper end view of the modified girth taken as indicated by the line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view through a further modified girth; and

FIG. 8 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 and showing a modified joint structure.

Referring to the drawings it is seen that my knee brace has thigh and leg girths for holding a hinged rod assembly in place, three alternative girth embodiments having been illustrated. In each instance the rod assembly includes a thigh rod 12 and a two-part leg rod lit-14 which are hinged together by a pin 15. The latter passes through the forks of a forkhead 16 rigidly mounted at the lower end of the thigh rod and through a fiat-sided head 17 formed at the top of the upper part 13 of the leg rod and straddled by the forkhead. It should be noted that the head 17 has a cutback in its upper extremity to provide a stop shoulder 18 for engaging a limit pin 20 when the thigh and leg rods swing into alinernent, such corresponding to a fully extended leg position. The forkhead and adjacent portions of the thigh and leg rods are desirably padded as by a sponge rubber muif 19.

For weight reduction the thigh rod 12 and lower part 14 of the leg rod are from tubular stock. Part 14 is internally threaded at the top to make a screw connection with external threads on the upper part 13. The purpose of this connection is two-fold, primarily to permit free turning of the lower part 14 relative to the hinge axis, and secondarily for vertical adjustment of the leg girth.

In the first two girth embodiments a rigid thigh plate 38 of laterally concavo-convex configuration is saddled by its concave side over the thigh rod 12 and is secured thereto in centered relation by screws 21. The thigh plate is positioned so that it is approximately at right angles relative to the hinge axis defined by the pin 15.

The girth embodiment shown in FIG. 1 has the longitudinal side edge portions of the thigh plate pierced at regular intervals to provide four eyelets on each side for an elastic thong 22 as of tubular rubber and a pair of non-elastic laces 23. This thong and the laces also pass through grommets 24 forming eyelets in a nylon fabric girth piece 25 which is stitched at 29 to an inside lining 26 of sponge rubber. As shown in FIG. 4, the thigh plate 38 is padded on both of its faces as by a pair of sponge rubber pads 27 positioned on both sides of the thigh rod 12 and pierced by the thong and laces, and a sponge rubber envelope 28. The latter has its longitudinal side edge portions in overlapping relation and pierced by the laces 23. The thong 22 also passes through the envelope 28 and has its free ends taped, knotted or otherwise headed to keep the thong from pulling through the eyelets when stretched. Similarly, one end of the laces 23 is knot-ted as at 30 while the other ends come together at the center of the girth to be tied to one another or passed through a suitable cinch 31 after the girth is fitted.

The leg girth, indicated generally as 32, can be made in the same manner as the thigh girth just described. Its rigid plate corresponding to thigh plate 38 is rigidly secured to the lower part 14 of the leg rod by screws 33.

An alternative thigh girth, also suitable as a leg girth, is illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6 wherein an elastic sleeve 34 is provided which is preferably formed from a sheet of natural or synthetic rubber. The longitudinal side edge portions of this sheet are lapped and bonded together and to a sponge rubber pad 35 as by any suitable cement. The pad 35 is in turn bonded to the outer face of the thigh plate 38. An inner pad 36 is provided for the latter as by doubling under and cementing a sponge rubber member on both sides of the thigh rod 12. It is preferred to provide the sleeve with a plurality of ventilating holes 37. In some cases superior results may be obtained by tapering the thigh plate and the sleeve 34. The corresponding sleeve for the leg girth will normally have a somewhat smaller relaxed circumference.

In FIGURE 7 I have shown still a further modification in which the elastic sleeve 34 and rigid plate 38 have been integrally cast out of Hevea rubber to make a onepiece girth. This modified girth, denoted generally as 40, has its plate portion 40a bonded directly to the rod 12 in the case of a thigh girth, or to the rod 14in the instance of a leg girth, and gradually tapers down in thickness to the girth proper 40b. The latter is preferably also provided with ventilating openings.

In use my knee brace is positioned with the pin 15 located at the hinge axis of the knee joint and on the outer side thereof. With girths of the laced type shown in FIG. 1 the brace can of course be applied without first sliding the girths over the related foot and ankle as is required when girths of the fully elastic sleeve type of FIGURES 5 and 7 are used. However, the latter frequently are found to have superior holding power. In either case free action of the leg and normal muscle fiexure are maintained.

It can be seen that when my knee brace is in position as shown in FIG. 1 the leg cannot be over-extended because of the cooperating stop shoulder 18 and limit pin 20. At the same time the leg is left free to turn naturally relative to the thigh by virtue of the screw connection 3 between the two parts 1314 of the leg rod, and yet lateral knee flexure is resisted by the pin 15 and the interfit between head 17 and forkhead 16. It will also be noted that said screw connection permits the leg girth to be readily adjusted by way of distance from the hinge axis for fitting ease on various calves.

In sports such as football the player need never fully extend his legs, and hence in FIGURE 8 I have shown a modified thigh rod 112 which together with a leg rod 13 is shown in a maximum extended position less than longitudinal alinement. It will be noted that the thigh rod 112 has a forkhead 116 as before to receive the leg rod head 17 and the pin 15, but that the bridge portion 120 between its forks has taken over the stop role of the pin 20 and is arranged to be engaged by the stop shoulder 18 of the head 17.

The advantages of the invention, it is thought, will have been clearly understood from the foregoing detailed description of the illustrated preferred embodiments. Minor changes will suggest themselves and may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, where fore it is my intention that no limitations be implied and that the hereto annexed claims be given a scope fully commensurate with the broadest interpretation to which the employed language admits.

What I claim is:

1. In a knee brace, thigh rod means, leg rod means having an upper part hinged to said thigh rod means and having a lower part turnable only about its longitudinal axis relative to said upper part, and thigh girth means and leg girth means operatively mounted, respectively, on said thigh rod means and said lower part of the leg rod means for clamping them at the side of a given thigh and related leg, said leg girth means being free to swivel with said lower part of the leg rod means only about said longitudinal axis relative to the rest of the aforesaid parts of the brace.

2. In a knee brace, thigh rod means, leg rod means having an upper part hinged to said thigh rod means and having a lower part turnable only about its longitudinal axis relative to said upper part, stop means on said thigh rod means and said upper part of the leg rod means for limiting extension thereof, and thigh girth means and leg girth means operatively associated, respectively, with said thigh rod means and said lower part of the leg rod means for clamping them at the side of a given thigh and related leg, said leg girth means being free to swivel with said lower part of the leg rod means only about said longitudinal axis relative to the rest of the aforesaid parts of the brace.

3. In a knee brace, thigh rod means, leg rod means hinged to said thigh rod means on only one hinge axis, said hinge axis being transverse of said leg rod means and of said thigh rod means, thigh girth means operatively mounted on said thigh rod means, and leg girth means swivel mounted on said leg rod means to turn relative to said leg rod means only about a swivel axis longitudinal of said leg rod means, said leg girth means having no interconnection with said thigh rod means and thigh girth means other than via said leg rod means and thereby being free to swivel about said swivel axis relative to said thigh girth means.

4. In a brace, upper and lower rods hingedly connected together on only one hinge axis, said hinge axis being transverse of both said rods, upper and lower girth means operatively mounted, respectively, on said upper and lower rods, one of said girth means being swivel mounted on its respective said rod to turn relative thereto only about a swivel axis longitudinal of such rod, said one girth means having no interconnection with the other said rod and the other said girth means other than through said hinge connection between said rods whereby said one girth means is free to swivel about said swivel axis relative to the other said girth means.

5. The structure of claim 4 in which stop means are provided on said upper and lower rods for limiting swinging movement relative to one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,228,113 Hinson May 29, 1917 1,340,630 Maddox May 18, 1920 1,466,487 Shaffer Aug. 28, 1923 1,622,211 Sheehan Mar. 22, 1927 1,939,097 Bauman Dec. 12, 1933 2,570,382 Ruetting Oct. 9, 1951 2,724,256 Bezona Nov. 22, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 959,534 France Oct. 3, 1949 79,821 Austria Jan. 26, 1920 

